DAD NAMED ME LIA MOHAMMED NOT LIE SEE ....

Dad named me Lai...

 

BY BENEDICT ODINAKA writing for ODOGWU MEDIA,

Following a recent eyeball-to- eyeball encounter with the controversial Honourable Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Raufu Mohammed, LOUIS ACHI comes away with significant new insights into the persona of Kwara State-born lawyer and political maestro who spins ‘factual yarns’ for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, for a living.

His delicate frame and gentle mien belies inner steel and a calculating mind that have enabled him traverse high-octane Kwara/Lagos politics and navigate the shark-infested waters of national politics, becoming a highly successful salesman for the ruling President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration of the All
Progressives Congress (APC). Curiously, there is a strong perception by the opposition that he lies regularly through his teeth - and with a straight face to boot.
What is perception? What is reality?
 

A jolly good fellow but one who hardly permits grass to grow under his nimble feet, the Minister of Information and Culture, told The AUTHORITY that he has never told a lie before. Not done, he boldly challenged those branding him a liar to present concrete facts disputing whatever he had said before.According to Mohammed, “The name Lai makes it very easy for people to say Ilie.” Leaning forward reflectively he reveals that being the image maker of the APC when it was the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will find it hard to forgive him for “what happened to them”. His words: “I have two burdens. The first is that I happened to be the face of the opposition and PDP has not forgiven me and they will never forgive me. I think they look at the magnitude of what has happened to them and they hold me solely responsible; which is not fair. But, I did my bit.”With fetching humour, he observes that, “Unfortunately, my father gave me the name Lai also. So, it makes it very easy for them. But what I challenge them every
time is please, give me one thing I said that is not true. Emotionally, you may not agree with me but in terms of facts and figures, I have never said anything which they can dispute. You don’t have to like it but you can’t deny that they are facts.”Bringing more clarity to his dilemma, he explained that, “Now, becoming the face
of government again, it is automatic that whatever comes from Lai Mohammed, we must shoot it down as fake news and a lie.”Taking a dig at the opposition PDP, Mohammed noted that the party has time and again said it is ready to wrestle power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration. On a dismissive note, the Kwara-born pied piper holds that PDP’sbid to return to lead Nigeria is akin to the country returning to Egypt. His words: “It will be a tragedy for Nigeria to fall back into the hands of PDP.

They dropped us in hell and we are taking people out of hell. How can Nigeria now go back to Egypt? You want those people (PDP) to preside over the affairs of Nigeria again - with the kind of revelation that is coming out; the kind of rot?“What will happen to the investigations that were carried out if the PDP should win elections again? It will be swept under the carpet. This is the first time in the history of this country that we are making real recoveries. Nigeria should never ever pray for PDP to come back.”Lai Mohammed was born into the family of Alhaji Mohammed Adekeye of Irepodun Local Governmnet Council of Kwara State in 1952. He earned a bachelor's degree in French from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in 1975 and Law degrees from the University of Lagos and the Nigerian Law School in 1986. As a Lawyer, he co-founded the legal firm of Edu & Mohammed as a Senior Partner in 1989. He served as the Chairman of Optmedia Limited, a subsidiary of Afromedia Plc since December 18, 2008 and as a Director of Afromedia PLC since May 2011. He is also a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and worked as Public Relations Officer for almost 10 years with the Nigerian Airport Authority,
now Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). He is the author of “Witness to History,” founding member of the Social Democratic Party; Member of the National Democratic Coalition; Coordinator,Bola Tinubu Campaign Organisation in 1998 and Chief of Staff to Lagos State
governor, Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu 1999-2002. An active, nimble politician, Lai Mohammed was gubernatorial candidate of the Alliance for Democracy Kwara State in the 2003 general elections; Chairman,
Media and Publicity Committee of the Advanced Congress of Democrats; National Publicity Secretary of the defunct Action Congress and Action Congress of Nigeria; National Publicity Secretary of the APC Nigeria from inception in 2013 till he was appointed Minister of Information and Culture on November 11, 2015 and sworn in by President Muhammadu Buhari following his appointment and successful screening by the Senate..

  SOURCE: AUTHORITY NEWSPAPER